Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a method for manufacturing a semiconductor element.
Description of Related Art
Light-emitting elements have been widespread as various light sources. In particular, semiconductor light-emitting elements typified by light-emitting diodes (LED) or laser diodes (LD) have advantages such as reduction in size, low power consumption, and a long life, and thus have achieved great proliferation. The semiconductor light-emitting elements are generally manufactured through steps in which, after a semiconductor layer is grown on a growth substrate, a semiconductor wafer obtained is cleaved (e.g., by scribing and breaking) into chips.
Break blades have been known as members for pressing the semiconductor wafer in the breaking described above. The break blades are formed, for example, in a size of which the break blades can traverse the semiconductor wafer. In the case where LED chips (dice), which are light-emitting elements cleaved from the semiconductor wafer, are to be formed to have a rectangular shape, a scribe line is formed in a straight line and the semiconductor wafer can be broken by use of the break blades.
However, for example, in the case where the light-emitting elements are to be formed in a hexagonal shape, the scribe line is bent in the semiconductor wafer. In this case, if a cleaving member that linearly cleaves the semiconductor wafer, such as the break blade, is used, pressing against the wafer at portions except for the scribe line may damage the light emitting element. In the case where the break blade is pressed against the semiconductor wafer, there is no choice but to provide a damage area in advance and linearly cleave the semiconductor wafer, or to carefully position a small blade, of which the size is the same as that of the light-emitting element. In any case, operations become so complicated. Thus, in the case where the shape of the light-emitting elements is not rectangular, it takes time to position the blade during a cleaving operation, which may cause a disadvantage in manufacturing. See Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. H10-074712, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-135309, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2004-349623, and Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2012-124300.
One of the objects of the present disclosure is to provide a method for manufacturing a semiconductor element, which is suitable for manufacturing a semiconductor element such as a light-emitting element having in a non-rectangular shape.